2018

2017

From year to year, we often forget what the propagation was like the year before. We lament about the bad band conditions causing us to have day after day of blanket check-ins. Our Net Manager, Jim AA6F, sent over some of the log sheets from last Fall and Winter and this past November that he uses to keep track of check-ins. I created a little graphic that shows those days that Net Control called a blanket check-in. On the calendars from below, the days highlighted in yellow were blanket check-ins. If history holds, we will be having many more blanket check-ins coming up!

San Joaquin Net meets Monday-Saturday on 3918 khz, at 6 PM Pacific Time

The annual San Joaquin Net Picnic was held at Roeding Park in Fresno on Saturday, May 12, 2018. This year the picnic was asgain located at the Pine Gove Shelter at the northeast corner of the park. Approximately 20 hams were in attendance this year.

Thanks to Sarah WD6FUF, Bill WB6FEH, AD6X Rich (our "official photographer") and Myron WA6BLB for supplying these pictures.

Celebrating 59 years of service!

2018

Net Manager: Jim Wintemute AA6F

Net Secretary: Ken Martzen W6WMD

Assistant Net Secretary: Jeff Lillard AD6RH

Back Row: Jack WY6B, Glenita KB6PKN, Rich AD6X, Ken W6WMD, Jim AA6F, Jim WA6KKD, Myron WA6BLB, Sarah WD6FUF,

Robert K6LYI, Larry AD6W, Bill WB6FEH

Front Row: Shirley KD6DJD, Cathy KJ6EM, Bob K6RMW, Bob K6GDI, Mike WB6VGL, Roger WD6CNV

Not Pictured But Attending: Chuck W6DPD

Joe Mitzutani, WB6KCE SK - February 7, 2019

Long-time net member Joe Mitzutani, WB6KCE passed away in his sleep in his home on Thursday, February 7, 2019. Joe was 97-1/2 years of age and had been receiving 24 hour home health care. Joe's wife passed away many years ago. Joe is survived by one son and one daughter.

Larry Esau, AD6W and Mel Manley, KI6SK visited with Joe during the past week and reported that he was rapidly weakening.

Joe was an active Ham for more than 60 years. In addition to his many years with the San Joaquin HF Net, Joe was a much-loved member of the Strand Memorial Amateur Radio Club (SMARC W6HKV). Joe had a very visible antenna in his neighborhood and was a well-celebrated Ham in the Kingsburg community. Besides his presence on 75 meters, he was active on six and ten meters talking to his friends throughout the United States and around the world.

Joe lived his entire life in Kingsburg except for five years during WWII when he was relocated to a Japanese Internment Camp in Green River, Utah. During that time he attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army but failed the physical exam. Larry, AD6W, a life-long friend, shared that in spite of Joe's internment experience, he remembers him as a very positive person who had an enthusiastic attitude and demonstrated strong patriotism as an American Citizen.

The Mitzutani family operated Mitzutani's Food Market in Kingsburg from the 1920s into the 1990s. Joe took over from his parents in the 1950s and operated that business until he retired and closed the store. Through the market, Joe and his family were well-known throughout the entire Kingsburg community.

Thank you to his long-time friend and neighbor Larry, AD6W for sharing this information for publication. As other information becomes available, Larry will share that with us.

San Joaquin Net History

The San Joaquin net was formed April 28, 1959, by K6EJT Bill with a group of amateur radio operators that included:
Al K6RPL, Roger K6HEZ, Alex W6BWM, Fred WA6AFW, Joe W6YQK, Jim K6ZFM, Floyd W6MJS, Verne K6EBO, John W6QRB, Sam K6OBG, Charlie K6SWW and Mike WA6OLG.
They met on 3.915 Kc every night but Sundays and holidays.
Members gave a weather report from their area.
The net increased in members, and changed the name to The San
Joaquin Net. The net has grown to a membership of over seventy
members with Q T H's throughout California.

The history of the San Joaquin Net was
Compiled by Edith L. "Salley" Nikkel WB6FOA of Pleasant Hill and copied
by Harry L. "Bud" Odgers WA6OVE of El Portal
April, 1991

Annual SJN Picnic

Robert (Bob) M. Perry, K6GDI SK - February 14, 2019

The San Joaquin HF Net has lost another one of our long-time members. Bob, K6GDI, became a SK while still at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. Bob was suffering from complications to Congestive Heart Failure. Bob was with his family members when he slipped away peacefully.

Bob remained active on the Ham bands until his recent hospitalization earlier this month checking in from Prunedale. Bob served as Net Control for one Monday each and every month. He missed this month because of being hospitalized. Bob was also a regular at our Annual Roeding Park Picnic held each May. The picture posted here was from our 2018 picnic.

For any further information from Bob’s family, please contact Bob’s son Rob Perry, AE6SR, at his email address, ae6sr.rob@gmail.com. Rob’s call sign may sound familiar to some as Rob was net manager for the San Joaquin Net for a time several years ago.

Thank you to his great friend Bob Wiser, K6RMW for keeping us informed about K6GDI.

San Joaquin NET

Roger Corum, WD6CNV SK - February 3, 2019

Roger Corum, WD6CNV of Clovis passed away on Sunday, February 3, in his home in Clovis, California with his wife Sarah WD6FUF by his side. Roger was a member of the San Joaquin Net since the 1980’s, first checking in from Visalia and then starting up again in October of 2017 from Clovis. Roger and Sarah were regular attendees at SJN camp outs and picnics for many years. Roger last attended the annual San Joaquin Net picnics in May of 2017 and 2018 as well as the DX Convention in Visalia that was held during April 2018.

Roger was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) many years back. MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles that was responsible for his falling several times in the last couple of years. In September of this past year he also suffered a heart attack and had three stents inserted. In spite of all that, Roger continued to check in on a regular basis until November 9th when he took yet another fall. A month later, Roger made the decision to come home and received great care from Sarah and hospice services.

Roger wrote a personal account of how he first became interested in Ham Radio that was posted to this website. To read that account, CLICK HERE .

Roger's obituary can be found by CLICKING HERE. Sarah's email is gmasarah@comcast.net.

A Celebration of Life Service was held on Friday, February 15th at the Gateway Church in Visalia located at 1100 S. Sowell St. beginning at 2 PM.

Harry L. "Bud" Odgers, WA6OVE

Roger, WD6CNV with Sarah and son Larry and Family

2017

A

Blanket Check-In Blues??

Edith L. "Salley" Nikkel, WB6FOA

San Joaquin Net News:

2/8/19 - It's good to hear Steve, WA6MIZ back on the air when conditions allow from Idaho. Looking forward to getting an update with pictures of how the QTH is progressing.

9/20/18 - Steve, WA6MIZ has been a member of the SJV Net for some time, but went off the air for awhile because of a major move. Steve has made some great progress on his new shack in Boise, Idaho, and shares his story and some great pictures in a special article found under the "Member News" tab of this web page. Scroll on past all of the "Featured Stations" to read all about Steve's adventures in Idaho.

9/6/18 - WA6MIZ, continues his special contribution of a "San Joaquin Net Featured Station" with a FIFTH installment. Steve was instrumental in developing this feature and as promised has been providing us with regular updates. In this article, Steve shares information about Walt Schivo, KB6BKN, that will amaze you.

8/19/18 - With sadness we announce the passing of Bob Curtis, W6QCV, of Arcadia, CA on 8/17/18 at the age of 93. Many of you will remember Bob as a long-time member of our San Joaquin Valley Net. This information was passed to us from Earl Curtis, KI6BEC. If we receive additional information we will pass it along to you.

5/1/18 - Roger, WD6CNV shares a personal insight into how he became interested in Ham Radio. This brings back memories of similar adventures building first radios! To read his account, click the "Member News" tab and scroll on down.

4/21/18 - Bill, WB6FEH; Roger WD6CNV; Phil N6OMM and Myron, WA6BLB all connected at the Annual DX Convention held in Visalia on April 21, 2018. See their mugs on "Activities" Tab.

Thank you Sarah Corum, WD6FUF, for sending along some additional pictures from the 2017 picnic. These can be found under the "Activities" tab mixed in with pictures sent by Rich, AD6X. She also emailed some treasurers from a 1998 San Joaquin HF Net campout and one of her as Net Control from January 2001. These pictures re under the "Members" tab and a part of "A trip Down Memory Lane".

Thanks to Bill, WB6FEH, for providing some great pictures and text from the past. Click on the "Members" tab and scroll down to "A Trip Down Memory Lane" to view pictures from the collection of WB6OTB (SK).

3/21/18 - Our own, K6RMW, Bob Wisler from Watsonville, has a letter published in the April 2018 QST Edition. His letter is about checking into the 3918 kHz net from Yosemite. You can read the article by clicking on the new "MEMBER NEWS" tab above.

3/17/18 - Bob, K6RMW, passed along an update on Marty, W6ZD, You can read the update on Marty by clicking on the new "MEMBER NEWS" tab above.

Thank you to Rich, AD6X, for providing the pictures of past picnics and camp outs. The 2017 picnic pictures are now posted under the "Activities" page.